On May 2, near midnight, the Toronto Police Service received a call about a man wearing a Spiderman mask assaulting a boy near Augusta Avenue and Dundas Street. While wearing the superhero mask, 27-year-old Ashton Gray is alleged to have attacked a 16-year-old boy with a skateboard. It is reported to have been an unprovoked attack. The boy sustained serious injuries in the Kensington Market area incident.

Gray was apprehended on June 22 and charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon. He is also facing charges on outstanding matters separate from this case, including failure to comply with probation and failure to comply with recognizance.

Gray was scheduled to appear in court on July 2 at Old City Hall, but he refused to leave his jail cell for reasons unknown and so the date was moved to July 15. The purpose of the court proceeding was to give the accused and his lawyer disclosure for his case, which includes the evidence the Crown and police have to prosecute a case, namely witness statements and notes from police officers involved.

On July 15 the accused appeared in court via video. Gray was uncooperative during the proceedings, shouting and using profanity.

The judge ordered him to be remanded into custody pending a pre-trial proceeding, the date of which has not been set.

—Justine Ricketts